hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He
not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and
He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it."

This was very unsatisfactory, and Balaam was asked, if he could not
curse, at least to refrain from benediction. The answer was still the
same. "Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I
must do?" A third shift was tried, and Balaam went to the top of Peor.
This was worse than ever. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he
broke out into triumphal anticipation of the future glories of Israel.
Balak remonstrated in wrath, but Balaam was altogether inaccessible.
"If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go
beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine
own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak."

This story greatly impressed me, and I date from it a distinct
disinclination to tamper with myself, or to deliver what I had to
deliver in phrases which, though they might be conciliatory, were
misleading.

About this time there was a movement in the town to obtain a better
supply of water. The soil was gravelly and full of cesspools, side by
side with which were sunk the wells. A public meeting was held, and I
attended and spoke on behalf of the scheme. There was much opposition,
mainly on the score that the rates would be increased, and on the
Saturday after the meeting the following letter appeared in the
Sentinel, the local paper:

"Sir,--It is not my desire to enter into the controversy now raging
about the water-supply of this town, but I must say I was much